Children Born To Obese Fathers Might Be At Risk of Autism

In a recent study it was found that kids were at a higher risk of autism if they were born of obese fathers and not mothers. The study was conducted on a large group of around ninety-three thousand Norwegian kids and those who had obese fathers. The results revealed that the children’s chances for developing autism had doubled.

These findings were published in the online journal Pediatrics and are the first of its kind findings on the links between autism and obese fathers. Though, experts add that these studies do not in any way show as of now that the extra weight is responsible for the autism in the children.

Lead researcher Dr. Pal Suren of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo, is of the opinion that there could be an indirect association. There could be a link between the variations in certain genes and the heightened risks of autism. Or even the fact that the fathers had been exposed to certain environmental conditions that could lead to this heightened risk. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that autism is now found in one in every sixty-eight kids.

Dr. Suren goes on to say that there could also be a direct connection with obesity in fathers and risks of autism in kids due to the altering of the quality of their sperm. As of now though, he and his colleagues are just speculating. The mothers’ obesity was ruled out as being a possibility for increased chances of autism in kids, contrary to a previous study. “It would definitely be beneficial to replicate our analyses in population studies from other countries, to see whether the association is generalizable to other populations,” Suren said. If they do find that there’s a link, “then you need to understand why this association exists,” said Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York.